Posted by A S Johnson on 12/24/11 9:16am
Msg #407497

New to me

Have a title company asking for a copy of the Notaries driver's license, a title company not a signing service.
"Notary must provide a copy of his/her driver's license of the loan will not fund"
Has anyone else been asked for this?

Reply by A S Johnson on 12/24/11 9:19am
Msg #407498

Correction: "or" the loan will not fund.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 12/24/11 9:20am
Msg #407499

Did you know this before you took the assignment or did they tell you this after the fact?

Reply by A S Johnson on 12/24/11 10:14am
Msg #407503

No. I did not know this. Was not told this by the large, national SS when I accepted the assignment. Docs sent to the Development Real Estate office. Did not see the docs til I arrived at the company ownwd development real estate office.
Again, large, national signing service. Large national title company.
Financing home sold by company reat estate people, one said he had recently seen this at another location, same title company.

Reply by mtnotary on 12/24/11 9:25am
Msg #407500

I had the same thing requested of me about 2 months ago. I said sorry I don't give my license to anyone. You can have my Notary commission date, (can't give a number as Montana doesn't number their Notaries) she said she would get back to me and they said that was ok.
I seem to recall that this was a fairly large Title company that I had done a lot of work with before. I remember thinking that was a very odd request.

Reply by A S Johnson on 12/24/11 10:19am
Msg #407504

Many of us have worked for this large, national signing service before. The SS has been discussed many times on the board. Low pay being one. They pay me my fees $XXX when they meed me. Never a problem, discussion about paying. I worked for them years ago when fees $XXX were not an issue.

Reply by Lee/AR on 12/24/11 10:23am
Msg #407505

I'd go 'em one better. Spit on a paper and, voila, they have a DNA sample.
I'd like to be the B whose loan didn't fund because the TC didn't have a copy of the lowly notary's DL. That would be an interesting lawsuit.

Reply by jba/fl on 12/24/11 12:36pm
Msg #407517

See - now that makes sense! (spit on paper - viola, DNA sample)

If BO attacked, you could be in the clear immediately.

The gall!

Reply by 101livescan on 12/24/11 10:53am
Msg #407513

I have been requested to provide my DL and copy of my commission as prior to funding conditions, and you can see that some lenders are on to the practices of Jane and Mary described in an earlier post.

If these closings become embroiled in legal action, they will know exactly who the officiating notary in the event is. No hocus pocus.

Reply by HisHughness on 12/24/11 11:30am
Msg #407514

This sort of thing has been discussed before

Such requests don't bother me. There are reasons for them.

A signing agent is going into strangers' homes. Though he/she may not be an agent of the TC or signing service, the signing agent is acting in the interests of those parties. Further, the NSA is driving, and thus raising the possibility of automobile accidents, while acting in the interests of the TC or signing service. If there ever is an issue over something that happens, the hiring parties wish to be assured that there is no basis for a contention of negligent hiring.

I provide the requisite documentation, with any sensitive information blocked out.

Reply by Buddy Young on 12/24/11 12:45pm
Msg #407518

Re: This sort of thing has been discussed before

This has been discussed recently and the best thing to come out of the discussion was what Hugh suggested.

Hugh, with his superb command of the english language; sometimes uses words I have to look up in the dictionary. I'll explain it in a way anyone can understand:

1.) Make a copy of your drivers licence. 2.) Take a black felt tip marker and mark out the drivers licence numbers. 3.) Send it to the requesting T.C.

Reply by HisHughness on 12/24/11 12:51pm
Msg #407520

Re: This sort of thing has been discussed before

***Hugh...sometimes uses words I have to look up in the dictionary.***

The technical term for that is bloviation (look it up).

Reply by Buddy Young on 12/24/11 1:44pm
Msg #407521

Re: thanks for expanding my vocabulary, Hugh

blovaition = to talk aimlessly or boastingly, to speak pompously

I did have to look it up, I guess I'm just a ninnyhammer.

The word for to day to enhance your vocabulary: caticle. Look it up

Reply by HisHughness on 12/24/11 1:55pm
Msg #407522

No need to look it up

Caticle = long, icy formations that accumulate on felines who elect to stay out all night in winter.

Reply by Buddy Young on 12/24/11 1:59pm
Msg #407523

Re: LOL n/m

Reply by Buddy Young on 12/24/11 2:07pm
Msg #407524

Re Hugh always has to bloviate!! I'm having fun with my

new word.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 12/24/11 8:54pm
Msg #407543

Really? I thought that was a catsicle. :0 n/m

Reply by JanetK_CA on 12/25/11 1:05am
Msg #407550

Good one! ;>) n/m

Reply by UKCowboy_CA on 12/24/11 4:08pm
Msg #407532

Bloviation

Wow! and I thought it was something that Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky were engaging in.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 12/24/11 4:35pm
Msg #407535

Re: This sort of thing has been discussed before

We need to disclose our ID because "A signing agent is going into strangers' homes." Huh?

The signing location is irrelevant to a notary being asked to disclose their personal information to a SS/TC/lender ... without, I might add, any assurances of protection of our private info. (Lender paper-shuffler: "Oh, goodie, we got a copy of the notary's DL; I'll just toss it in the trash when I'm through with it.") These guys can barely keep their borrowers' info private; forget about ours. Besides, what if the borrower want to change the signing location... as in "Let's meet at Starbucks." So, if you met somewhere else, would the "strangers' homes" policy still stand? (I just signed in the back of a Christmas tree delivery truck.) Asking for our personal information is completely inappropriate no matter where we meet. We are officers of the state and are thus not required to disclose our personal information in the conduct of our notarial duties. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

Furthermore, plenty of notaries have their spouses/relatives drive them around to signings .... should the spouse be required to provide their DL, too (in case of an "automobile accident"?)

As for your blocking out "sensitive information" on your DL, then what good is a copy to requesting party? If you've redacted your DL number, then the DL is not traceable and thus you are not identifiable; and if you've blocked out the expiration date (which, of course, you would because that's likely your birthday), there's no way to tell if you are currently permitted to drive. All they have at this point if a picture of your adorable face. Why don't we just go down to the bus station and get our picture taken in those photo booths and send that to them? This is clearly a case of a lender being invasive for no sensible reason.

This whole DL thing has gotten out of hand, and I suspect it could be a result of states that, like you once said, Hugh, only require a person to fog a mirror before they're a notary. CA notaries are required to pass classes and state-proctored tests; are DOJ/FBI background checked up the yazoo and back, fingerprinted and photographed. Seals are made only by authorized vendors and only with a SOS authorization letter sent directly to the notary. Plus we're all listed on the SOS Web site. Etc. etc. Maybe I'd be a little more willing to comply with a lender's request for more ID from me if I hadn't already been put through the wringer.... (but I doubt it.)

In any case, Merry Christmas!

Reply by HisHughness on 12/24/11 6:27pm
Msg #407541

Re: This sort of thing has been discussed before

Individual, not corporate, subcontractors are required to submit personal information to obtain governmental contracts. If the work includes driving, a DL is required. The potential liability of a hiring party is vastly increased where the work to be done is in a private residence and out of public view.

There is a principle in the law called "negligent employment." Under that principle, a hiring party or even a prime contractor can be held liable for the wrongful acts of its subcontractor, even if the hiring party did not authorize or condone them, if the hiring party failed to thoroughly vet the subcontractor.

I have said in the past, and will repeat it: If I were a TC/lender/SS, I would require both background checks and a DL of all my NSAs. It only makes sense from a liability standpoint, regardless of the umbrage it may elicit from attractive West Coast NSAs who need to take a deep breath, sit down, sip a full mug of coffee, and then spend about an hour alone with a virile, hairy chested male.

I'll put the coffee pot on.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 12/24/11 10:16pm
Msg #407546

Re: This sort of thing has been discussed before

Well, unfortunately the only virile hairy chested male around here right now is my dog,...
and my umbrage is beyond anything coffee can assuage. So, here's to another cup of egg nog with a sizable wollop of Glenfiddich! Cheers, HisHughness.

Reply by NJDiva on 12/27/11 12:11pm
Msg #407619

lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol

"unfortunately the only virile hairy chested male around here right now is my dog,...
and my umbrage is beyond anything coffee can assuage."